I had a couple of cavities filled at my dentist's office today. It's been awhile since I needed a procedure like this, so she got to stick some new equipment (for me) into my mouth. She used an integrated mouthpiece that provides suction, keeps my mouth propped open, and forces my tongue out of the way. This last function is critical for me, because my tongue is always in her way, like a curious terrier that wants to know what all the excitement is over on the back molar. The trouble is that, for the device to work, you have to bite down on it, and that gets to be hard to do after a little while in the chair.

To remove decayed material, she used both a conventional grinding burr and what you might describe as a laser-power pressure washer. Its tradename is Waterlase. The laser provides the energy for cutting and it desensitizes the nerve, so there's no anesthesia nor games of hide-the-needle-from-the-patient. I can't confirm that the product lives up to its claims of a quicker, more comfortable stay in the chair, but that's largely because the decay in one of the teeth was a lot deeper than we expected. That disconcerting burning odor was still part of the experience.

posted: 7:18:17 PM